First Comes Marriage

Feisty, fearless Jody Bravo’s set to do everything for her baby. She doesn’t need anything from anyone—especially the stepbrother of her baby’s late father. But lawman Seth Yancy won’t leave her to face parenthood alone, no matter how prepared she is. And even though Jody resists, soon she’s taken in completely by his charms—and agrees to be his wife...

Then Comes Love?

Hunky Sheriff Yancy’s not without his fair share of admirers in Justice Creek. After a terrible tragedy years before, though, he’s faced life alone. Now the real-life woman of his dreams just happens to be his bride—and pregnant with the child of his heart, if not his reality. So “father” is a role that will come naturally to Seth. And will “husband” really be that far behind?

“I want to be with you, Jody. And not just as a friend.”

“B-but I…” God. She was sputtering. And why did she suddenly feel light as a breath of air, as if she was floating on moonbeams? “You want to be with me? But you don’t do that. You’ve made that very clear.”

“You’re right. I didn’t do that. Until now. But things have changed.”

“Because of Marybeth, you mean?”

“Yeah, because of Marybeth. And because of you, too. Because of the way you are. Strong and honest and smart and so pretty. Because we’ve got something going on, you and me. Something good. I’m through pretending that we’re friends and nothing more. Are you telling me I’m the only one who feels that way?”

“I just…” Her pulse raced and her cheeks felt too hot. She’d promised herself that nothing like this would happen, that she wouldn’t get her hopes up.

She needed to be careful. She could end up with her heart in pieces all over again.

* * *

The Bravos of Justice Creek: Where bold hearts collide under Western skies

The Lawman’s Convenient Bride

Christine Rimmer

www.millsandboon.co.uk

CHRISTINE RIMMER came to her profession the long way around. She tried everything from acting to teaching to telephone sales. Now she’s finally found work that suits her perfectly. She insists she never had a problem keeping a job—she was merely gaining “life experience” for her future as a novelist. Christine lives with her family in Oregon. Visit her at www.christinerimmer.com.

For every brave soul

who dares to love again.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Sheriff Seth Yancy worked hard for his community. He lived to serve the citizens of tiny Broomtail County, Colorado, and he would do just about anything for his constituents.

But a bachelor auction?

No way would he agree to be a prize in one of those. Being raffled off to the highest bidder was beneath his dignity. Plus, he would have to go out with the winner. Seth hadn’t gone out with anyone in almost four years. And way back when he did go out, it hadn’t been with a woman from town—or anywhere in Broomtail County, for that matter.

He was single and planned to stay that way. Dating someone who lived in his community, well, that could get messy. Seth didn’t do messy. As sheriff, he tried to set a good example in all aspects of his personal life. And that meant that when the president of the library association asked him to be a prize in her upcoming bachelor auction, Seth went right to work gently and regretfully turning her down.

He sat back in his new leather desk chair in his brand-new office in the recently opened Broomtail County Justice Center on the outer edge of the small town of Justice Creek and said, “The last Saturday in May? I’m sorry, Mrs. Carruthers. That’s a bad day for me.” It wasn’t really a lie, he reasoned. Because if he said yes to the woman in the guest chair across from him, it would be a bad day.

“Call me Caroline.” She crossed her slim legs and folded her hands on her knee.

“Sure, Caroline. What time did you say the auction was?”

“We’re planning an all-day event in the park. But you would only need to be there between, say, two and four.”

“Two and four,” he repeated, stalling a little, as though he really did want to help her out. And he did. Just not for this.

Caroline beamed at him from behind her cat’s-eye glasses. “So then. We can count on you as one of our bachelors. I’m so pleased.”

“Hmm. Hold on, now. I’ll have to check.” He clicked the mouse on his desktop and made a show of frowning at the screen. “I’m sorry, but between two and four is impossible.” It was an outright lie this time. And Seth did not approve of lying. But to get out of being raffled off like a prize bull, he would sink pretty low. “I just can’t make it.”

Caroline’s sweet smile never wavered, though her eyes were a flinty, determined shade of gray. “Sheriff, I can’t tell you how much it would mean to us if you could find a way to rearrange your schedule and say yes.”

He cleared his throat, the sound downright officious even to his own ears. “I’m sorry. Really.”

She adjusted her glasses, causing the beaded neck strap to twinkle aggressively. “Did I mention yet that the auction will help finance the library’s new media center?”

“Yes, you did, and I—”

“It’s a great cause. An important project. Children who don’t have access to the internet need a chance to become familiar with the life tools others take for granted. And how many of our seniors wish they could broaden their horizons and move into the digital age? The center is so much more than just a bonus for our community. It’s an out-and-out necessity.”

“Yes, I understand that. But I really can’t—”

“And it will take so little of your time, Sheriff. A couple of hours in Library Park the day of the auction and then one date with the lucky lady who bids the most for you. We’ve gotten Silver Star Limousine from Denver to donate a limo for your date. The winning ladies will each get a spa day at Sweet Harmony Day Spa. You’ll be expected to pay for the date, of course, and I know you and the happy girl who wins you will choose something memorable and fun to do together.”

“I understand, but as I keep trying to tell you, Caroline, I really can’t.”

“Oh, yes, you can.” She blasted that smile at him, brighter than ever. “We all do admire the important work you do here. We’re grateful for your service to this community.”

“Well, thank you. I—”

“Of all the eligible bachelors in our county, I believe you are the most respected.” Eligible? Seth might be single, but he was far from eligible. To be eligible, a man had to be willing to get involved in a relationship, and he wasn’t. Caroline’s gray eyes seemed to bore right through him. “Respected and so greatly admired. Word does get around. I’ve heard about your fan club...”

His fan club. He supposed that didn’t sound so bad. At least she hadn’t called them badge bunnies, which a lot of civilians considered cool police slang. Seth found the term sexist and objectifying—and, yes, he knew all about sexism. It was part of his job to know about it and to squelch it whenever it reared its ugly head. He didn’t approve of terms that objectified anyone. And as for his “fan club,” there weren’t that many of them. But they were certainly enthusiastic, always dropping by to see him with baked goods and big smiles. Seth skirted a fine line with the women in question. He tried to be polite and appreciative while never letting any of them get too close.

If he gave in and said yes to the auction, one of them would probably “win” him. How awkward would that be?

He didn’t even want to think about it.

And Caroline was still talking. “A tweak of your calendar, a few hours in the park and a date with a generous, community-conscious woman. Just one date. For the needy children who can so easily be left behind, for the seniors with ever-narrowing horizons.”

He willed Garth Meany, the dispatcher, whose narrow back he could see through his inner-office window, to get a call—nothing too serious, a drunk and disorderly or someone creating a public nuisance. No one should get hurt. All Seth wanted was a chance to “notice” Garth on that call. He could bounce to his feet, mumble something about a “390” or a “507” that required his immediate attention—and hustle Caroline right out the door.

Unfortunately, it was a Tuesday afternoon in April, and the citizens of Broomtail County were apparently sober and behaving themselves. “Caroline, I’m so sorry, but I have another appointment in—”

“Just say the magic word, and I’ll get out of your hair.”

“But I—”

“Please.” Now her eyes were huge and mournful behind the slanted, glittery frames. “Sheriff. We need you.”

He opened his mouth to say no again. But Caroline looked so sad for all those disadvantaged children with no access to the internet, all those shut-in seniors who didn’t even know how to send an email. He really did hate lying. And did she have to keep using that word, need?

Seth Yancy was a bitter man in many ways. His life hadn’t turned out the way he’d once hoped it might. And the last few months, since the sudden death of his only brother, Nick, had been nothing but grim for him. Nicky was a good guy, the best. And way too young to die. It just wasn’t right, that he’d been taken.

Too many were taken. And always the ones who deserved long, full lives.

But even though he’d been feeling more down than usual lately, Seth still liked to believe he was a good public servant, that when the people of his county needed him, one way or another, he would come through.

Caroline regarded him steadily, waiting for his reply.

And by then, for Seth, there was only one answer to give. “All right. I’ll rearrange my schedule.”

* * *

An hour later, Caroline was long gone, off to corner some other poor schmuck and badger him into making a fool of himself on the bachelor auction block. Seth was still in his office reviewing last month’s budget overages, with the jail’s operations report still to get through.

But enough. He was done for the day.

The budget and the reports could wait until tomorrow. After being bested by that Carruthers woman, he needed a fat, juicy steak and a twice-baked potato, and he knew where to get them.

The Sylvan Inn sat in a small wooded glen a few miles outside of town. At four thirty in the afternoon on a weekday, the parking lot had one row of cars in it—the row closest to the front entrance. Seth pulled in at the end of that row.

Inside, the hostess led him straight to a deuce by a window that looked out on a shaded patio. Perfect. He felt the cares of the day melting away.

Caroline Carruthers?

Never heard of her.

His waitress, Monique Hightower, appeared. Seth had known Monique for a good twenty years, at least. They’d attended Justice Creek High about the same time, with him graduating a couple of years ahead of her. She’d been working here at the Inn for a decade, maybe more.

“Hey, Seth. You’re earlier than usual for a weekday.” Monique refilled the water glass he’d already emptied and set the bread basket in front of him. “Everything okay?” Monique was a good waitress, but she talked too much. And she had a rep for being overly interested in other people’s business.

He replied, “Everything is just fine, thanks,” in a tone that discouraged further conversation. “I’ll have the house salad with blue cheese, a Porterhouse, bloody, and a fully loaded potato.” A beer would really hit the spot, but he was still in uniform. “And bring me a nice, big Coke.”

Monique jotted down his order. “Be right back with your drink and that salad.” She trotted off, blond corkscrew curls bouncing in her high ponytail.

She was as good as her word, too, bouncing right back over with a tall, fizzy Coca-Cola and a plateful of greens.

Seth buttered a hunk of hot bread and got down to the business of enjoying his meal. By the time the steak and potato arrived, he felt better about everything. The auction was almost six weeks away. He’d put it on his calendar, and he’d promised Caroline he would pose for a picture and work up a bio that would make the women of Justice Creek eager to bid on him. He wasn’t looking forward to either activity, but as soon as they were accomplished, he could forget about the whole thing until he had to show up at the park the last Saturday in May.

“All done?” Monique stood at his elbow.

“Yeah. It was terrific, as always.”

She took his plate. “Wait till you see the dessert cart. On the house for you, Seth.”

“Thanks, Monique. Just the check.”

And off she went, returning in no time with the bill. He gave her his credit card. Not three minutes after that, she set down the leather check folder on the white tablecloth. He put his card away and picked up the pen.

“So. Jody seems to be doing great, don’t you think, all round and rosy?” It was Monique. For some reason, she’d remained standing right behind him.

He added the tip and scratched in his signature. “Jody?”

Monique leaned a little closer and spoke very softly. “Jody Bravo.”

He remembered then. Jody Bravo. Pretty brunette. Daughter of Frank Bravo, deceased, and Frank’s second wife, Willow Mooney Bravo. Willow Bravo was a piece of work. She’d carried on a decades-long affair with Frank while his rich first wife, Sondra, was still alive. Sondra had given Frank four children. Pretty much simultaneously, Willow had given him five. Including Jody, who owned a flower shop on Central.

Jody and Nick had been friends there for a while, at the end.

Monique said, “She’s due next month, right?”

This was getting weird. “Due to...?”

“Have the baby, of course.”

Evidently, Jody Bravo was pregnant. Given that she’d been a friend of Nicky’s, he probably should have known that.

But why, exactly, did Monique Hightower think she ought to bring it up to him?

He dropped the pen on the open check folder. “Monique.”

“Yeah?”

“Come on around here where I can see you.”

She sidled into his line of sight looking uncomfortable now, giving him big eyes and a sweet never-mind of a smile. “So. Can I get you anything else?”

He hit her with his lawman’s stare, dead-on with zero humor. “You went this far. Better finish it, whatever it is.”

“Ahem.” She slid a glance toward the kitchen, scoping out the location of her boss, no doubt. “I...thought you knew, that’s all.”

“Knew what?”

“Well, I mean that the baby Jody’s having...” The sentence wandered off into nowhere.

“Go on.”

“Well, Seth. It’s, um, Nick’s baby.”

Nick’s baby.

Seth heard a strange roaring in his ears, as though the ocean were right outside the window, giant waves beating on that pretty shaded patio. “Did you just say that Jody Bravo is having Nick’s baby?”

Monique’s curly knot of hair bobbed frantically with her nod. She leaned close and whispered, “I can’t believe you haven’t heard. I mean, I know he was your stepbrother, but you two were closer than most blood-related brothers. And it’s not as if Jody’s been keeping it a secret. Everybody knows that baby is Nick’s, that it’s a girl, due at the end of May.”

The roaring of the invisible ocean got louder.

...it’s a girl. Everybody knows...

Everybody but him.

Come to think of it, Nicky’d had a crush on that Bravo woman, hadn’t he?

That was back in the late summer and fall, not long before Nick died. Nick had told Seth he had a thing for Jody, but that Jody didn’t feel the same, so they were “just friends.”

Just friends. That had pissed Seth off. He’d wondered if that Bravo woman was leading his little brother on. After all, she had to be, what, eight or nine years older than Nick?

And Nicky had always been too easy, too tender and open, his big heart just begging for someone to break it. Maybe Jody Bravo had some idea that Nick wasn’t good enough for her because he was a simple guy, happy to work the family ranch for a living, a guy who hadn’t been to some fancy college.

If so, she was a fool. There was no man better than Nick.

And wait a minute. She came to the funeral, didn’t she? Walked right up and shook Seth’s hand, said how sorry she was.

But she didn’t say a single word about any baby.

“Oh, look,” Monique piped up nervously. “One of my other customers needs more coffee. Good to see you, Seth. Have a great day...” She was already bouncing away.

Seth let her go. He needed more information, but he knew better than to seek it from Monique. The invisible ocean still roaring inside his head, he rose, pushed his chair back under the table and headed for the door.

Once back in his cruiser, he started the engine and got out of there, turning back onto the highway going east, away from town. For a while, he just drove, tuning out the chatter on the scanner, willing his blood to stop thundering through his veins.

Had he planned to go home? Kind of. But he didn’t. He blew right by the turnoff to the Bar-Y.

Maybe it wasn’t even true. Monique was hardly a reliable source, after all; she could so easily be wrong about everything, or even lying.

But what if it was true?

Was that Bravo woman ever planning to tell him?

Halfway to I-25, at the small town of Lyons, he did turn the cruiser around. He went back the way he’d come. But he didn’t take the turnoff to the Bar-Y then, either. He drove on past it and straight into town, where he found a parking place right on Central a few doors down from Jody Bravo’s flower shop.

At twenty past six, he stood between the tubs of bright flowers and thick greenery that flanked the shop’s glass door. His pulse thundering louder than ever, he went in. A little bell tinkled overhead, and Jody Bravo, behind the counter across the room, glanced his way.

Even with the counter masking her body from the waist down, he could see she was pregnant. And pretty far along, too. That belly looked ready to pop.

He let his gaze track upward to her face. Did she pale at the sight of him? He couldn’t be sure. But she definitely looked wary, her soft mouth drawn tight, a certain watchfulness in her eyes.

“Sheriff,” she said coolly. “I’ll be right with you.” And she turned a friendly smile to the older man she was waiting on. “Roses and lilies.” She passed him a paper-wrapped cone full of flowers. “Excellent choice. I know she’ll love them...”

Seth hovered near the door, not sure what to do with himself. Another customer came in, and he moved to the side to clear the entrance. And then he just stood there, surrounded by greenery, breathing that moist, sweet smell created by so many flowers and growing things pressing in close.

“Seth?” asked the Bravo woman as the second customer went out the door.

He realized he was staring blankly at a hanging basket full of cascading purple flowers. “Right here,” he answered, though she was standing directly behind him and no doubt looking straight at him. He turned around and met those wary eyes. “We need to talk.”

Resigned. She looked resigned. His certainty increased that Monique had not lied; that giant belly cradled his brother’s child.

Nicky’s baby. He didn’t know what he felt. Joy, maybe. And something else, something angry and ready for a fight.

She said, “It’s time to close. I need to bring in the stock from out in front and deal with the register.”

“I’ll help.”

“No, it’s fine. I can—”

“I said, I’ll help.” It came out as a growl.

She stiffened, but then she answered calmly, “Well. All right, then. If you’ll bring in the flowers.” She gestured at a section of bare floor space not far from the door. “Just put them there for now.”

“For now?”

“I’ll take them to the cooler in back later.”

“As long as I’m bringing them in, I can take them where you want them to go.” He put out a hand toward the glass-doored refrigerator full of fancy arrangements that took up much of one wall. “You want them in there?”

She bit her lip like she was about to argue with him. But then she said, “No, there’s a walk-in cooler in back.” She pointed at the café doors near the check-out counter. “Through there.”

“All right, then. I’ll bring everything in.”

They got to it. She turned off the Open sign and closed out the register while he carried in the tubs of flowers, trekking them through the inner door to the other fridge. Once all the tubs were in, she locked the shop door. There was an ironwork gate between her shop and the one next door, but it was shut, the shop on the other side dark and quiet.

She must have seen him glance that way. “My half sister Elise owns Bravo Catering and Bakery through there. She closed at six.”

And so they were alone, with no chance of interruption.

He got to the point. “I heard a rumor that you’re having my brother’s baby.”

He didn’t know what he’d expected. Denial? Nervousness? An apology for holding out on him?

But all he got from her was the barest hint of a shrug, followed by a quietly spoken confirmation. “Yes. Nick was my baby’s father.”

The soft words struck him like blows. All at once, his ears were burning. His stomach clenched, and he really wished he hadn’t eaten so much steak.

Sucking in a long breath through his nose, he accused, “You were at the funeral.”

“Yes.”

“You stepped right up to me. You shook my hand. You had to know there was a baby then.”

“Yes, I did.”

“But you said nothing.” He gave her a look meant to make her knees shake and waited for her to explain herself. When she only regarded him steadily, he demanded, “What is the matter with you? Why am I the last to know? My brother has been dead for almost six months, and until Monique Hightower shared the news today, I had no idea there was a baby involved.”

That seemed to get through to her. Scowling now, she whipped up a hand, palm flat in his face. “Don’t you get on me, Sheriff. I thought you knew—and didn’t care.”

Didn’t care? That knocked him back. He took a moment to gather his composure. And then he said, deadly calm, “You thought wrong. Did Nick even know?”

Slowly, she lowered her hand to her side. Her diamond-shaped face was all eyes at that moment, eyes of a blue so deep they looked black. Those eyes stared right through him. “He knew.”

Seth couldn’t help but scoff when she said that. “Oh, no. Uh-uh.”

“Why even ask if you’re not willing to accept my answer?”

“I guess I had some crazy idea you might tell me the truth.”

“That is the truth.”

“How long did he know?”

“I told him a few days after I found out myself. That was about six weeks before he died.”

“I don’t believe you.”

Twin spots of color flamed high on her cheeks. “Keep calling me a liar, and I’m just going to have to ask you to leave.”

Was he out of line? Probably. A little. But she should have told him that his dead brother had fathered a child. And that she’d told Nicky? He couldn’t see it. “Nick was a stand-up guy. If he’d known there was a baby, he would have wanted to marry you. That was who he was, a simple man with a big heart and high standards, a man whose own natural father deserted him and his mother. Nick wouldn’t do that. If he knew about that baby, you’d have a ring on your finger—and there is no way that he would have...” His throat locked up. He swallowed hard to loosen it and then tried again. “If Nick knew he was going to be a father, he would’ve told me.”

Chapter Two

Jody Bravo stared at the shiny badge pinned to the starched khaki dress shirt right above Seth Yancy’s heart and tried to decide what to say next.

Unlike Nick, who’d been lean and wiry, of medium height, Seth was a tall man, imposing, built broad and tough. Not as handsome as Nick, but a good-looking man if you liked them strong-jawed and dripping testosterone. He was one of those guys who looked like a cop in or out of his uniform, as if he’d been born to protect and serve and would do so whether you wanted him to or not. He wore his brown hair clipped short and his posture was ramrod-straight.

His anger with her? It came off him in waves.

Yes, she should have told him about the baby earlier. She supposed. In hindsight. But she found him so...forbidding. At the funeral, when she’d offered her condolences, he’d narrowed his eyes at her and muttered a grudging thank you. She’d read his attitude loud and clear; he couldn’t wait for her to move on. So, yeah, she’d kept putting off telling him, kept asking herself why it even mattered if the step-uncle knew about Nick’s baby or not? At the same time, she’d had some vague plan to go see him, have a little talk with him, eventually, when the moment felt right.

But the moment never felt right. Also, she really had wondered if he knew about the baby already and simply didn’t care. So, yeah, she’d been struggling with a powerful desire never to have to deal with the guy in any way, shape or form.

But right now she just felt sorry for him. So what if he was acting like a first-class douche canoe with his judgmental attitude and insensitive accusations?

The man missed his baby brother. And he was hurt that Nick hadn’t confided in him.

As for the marriage question, she didn’t even want to get into that with him. But still. He was here and clearly he cared. She gave him the truth. “Nick did ask me to marry him. I turned him down.”

“Why?”

She did know what he meant by the curtly uttered question, but she was feeling just snarky enough to ask for clarification anyway. “Why did he ask me, you mean?”

“Why did you turn him down?” He barked that one at her.

Stay calm, she reminded herself. “Nick was a wonderful guy. He deserved a woman who loved him with all of her heart.”

His lip curled in a sneer. “And you didn’t.”

“You should stop talking,” she said with excruciating sweetness. “Because I have to tell you, Seth. Every time you open your mouth, you give me a new reason not to be nice to you. I’m sorry Nick didn’t tell you. But I was only three months pregnant when he died. I’m sure he thought he had plenty of time.”

“Plenty of time. My God. Plenty of...” Seth shook his head. His upper lip was sweating.

Again, her exasperation with him faded.

Nick had told her all about the big brother he admired so much. He’d said Seth was the kind of man you wanted at your back in a tough situation, always cool and even-tempered, a man who kept command of himself and his emotions no matter how bad things got.

But right now, Seth Yancy was far from cool. He stared at a point somewhere beyond her left shoulder. It seemed to her he hovered on the brink of losing it completely.

Jody stepped forward and wrapped her fingers around his rock-hard forearm. “Seth.”

He flinched and blinked down at her hand. “What?”

“It’s okay.”

“I don’t...”

“Shh. Come on.” She pulled him to a bentwood chair by the window, an old one she’d decorated by painting it with twining vines and little flowers. “Sit right here. Let me get you some water...” She gently pushed him down.

He resisted. “No. No, I’m all right.”

“Humor me?” she coaxed.

Slowly, he sank into the chair. She let go of his arm—and he grabbed her hand. “Look. Honestly. I don’t know what my problem is. I shouldn’t have been so hard on you...”

“It’s okay,” she soothed.

“I apologize. I didn’t know you were having Nicky’s baby. I really didn’t know.”

“It’s okay...”

He blinked and frowned up at her. “You keep saying that.”

“Because I have this feeling that you’re not hearing me.”

He kept hold of her fingers with one hand and scrubbed the other one down his face. “I heard you.”

Gently, she pulled free of his grip. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

* * *

Seth did what she asked of him. He sat there in that spindly chair until she returned with a bottled water. “Here you go. Drink.” She pressed it into his hand.

He stared up at her, at her worried eyes and her serious mouth. “I’m not usually such a jackass.”

Her mouth twitched in the beginnings of a smile she didn’t quite let happen. “I really do understand. I’m sure it’s a shock.”

“I...”

She tapped the sweating water bottle. “It’s nice and cold. Drink.”

It wasn’t a bad suggestion, especially given that his mouth felt like he’d just swallowed a bucket of sand. So he unscrewed the lid and put the bottle to his lips. He drank it down in one go.

“Better?” she asked.

“Yeah. Thanks—and I am sorry. I don’t know what got into me.”

“You’re forgiven.” She spoke softly. Her eyes were kind now.

He had a thousand questions to ask her. He hardly knew where to start. But what he did know was that he would be a part of Nick’s baby’s life. “I want to help. Any way I can.”

“Well, thank you...” The words were right. Her expression wasn’t. She bit the corner of her lip and fell back a step.

He wanted to grab her arm and pull her in close again. “What’s wrong with my wanting to help?”

“Nothing. Nothing at all. It’s very kind of you, and I appreciate the offer. Right now, though, there’s nothing to help me with. I’m all set.”

“Set? How’s that?”

“Honestly, there’s nothing more to do at this point. I’ve got everything handled. I have excellent insurance and I’m getting great prenatal care. I’m watching my diet, taking my vitamins. The baby and I are both in good health. The baby’s room is ready. My sisters are all three helping out, planning to be with me through labor and delivery. I have full-time backup here at the store for those first weeks after the birth. My due date is a month and a half away, and I’m all ready to go.”

“Well, great,” he replied, though to him it was anything but. He needed to help her, and how could he do that if she had everything under control?

She added too brightly, “But I promise I’ll be in touch as soon as she’s born.”

“It’s a she?” he parroted blankly, remembering that Monique had said the baby would be a girl.

“Yes.” Jody did manage a smile then. “Her name is Marybeth.”

Marybeth. Nicky’s little girl will be named Marybeth. “I still want to help.”

“And you can.”

“Tell me what to do.”

A nervous laugh escaped her. “As I said, I can’t think of anything right now, but you never know...” The way she was looking at him? Not good. Like she wished he would leave, and the sooner the better.

And he couldn’t blame her for wanting him gone. He’d jumped down her throat, done a first-class imitation of an overbearing ass, when he should have been gentle and coaxing and kind.

He really ought to go. He should retreat and regroup—and do a better job of acting like a civilized human being the next time he talked to her.

So all right. Next time would be better. He bent to set the water bottle on the floor, lifted the flap on his right breast pocket and pulled out one of the business cards the county provided for him. “Got a pen?”

“Uh. Sure.” She zipped over to the counter with the register on it and came back with a Bic.

He took it and jotted his private numbers on the back of the card. “Call me at the justice center anytime, for anything. And you can reach my cell and the phone at the ranch with the numbers on the back.”

“I... Great. Thanks.” She accepted the card and the return of her pen and looked down at him expectantly, waiting for him to get up and get out.

And he would. Soon. But first there were things he had to tell her, stuff she needed to know. “After we lost Nicky, I moved to the ranch.”

“Ah. That’s right. You used to live in...?”

“Prideville.” The former county seat was a forty-mile drive from Justice Creek. “With the justice center here now, I wanted to be nearby anyway. And my dad retired to Florida a few years back. We’ve got a great couple, Mae and Roman Califano, out at the Bar-Y. They’re good people. And they can run the place with their hands tied behind their backs. But I think it’s important to have someone in the family living there.”

“Yes. Yes, I can see that.”

“You know how to get to the Bar-Y, right? You’ve been there, haven’t you?”

“Yes. I have, a few times, actually—last fall, after Nick and I became friends. And I’ve met the Califanos, too. I liked them.”

He tried not to stare at her belly. He had a yen to touch it, to see if the baby might give a little kick, provide him with tangible proof that Nicky’s child lived.

But he knew he’d blown his chances for any belly-feeling today. “Just in case, I can jot down the address for you...”

“No. Really, I know how to get to the Bar-Y—I mean, if I need to get there.” Her gaze shifted toward the door and then right back to him, as though she could hustle him out with the flick of a glance. He took another card from his pocket and held it out to her.

He watched a dimple tucking itself in at the corner of her mouth. “Seth.” She held up the first card. “I already have one.”

“Jody, I would really appreciate having your numbers, too.” He said it hopefully, pouring on the sincerity, though as sheriff, he would have no trouble getting his hands on just about anything he needed to know about her. But it was better if she volunteered her contact information. That way when he called, it would be because she’d given him tacit permission to do so.

“Oh. Well, sure.” She accepted the card, scribbled on the back of it and returned it to him.

“Great.” He stuck the card back in his pocket. And then, reluctantly, he stood.

She flew to the door, turned the lock and pulled it open. “Thanks, Seth. I’m...glad you came by.”

No, she wasn’t. But it was nice of her to say so. “Call me. I mean it. Anytime.”

“Yes. All right. I will.”

He didn’t believe her. But that was okay. If she didn’t get in touch with him, he would be contacting her.

He was helping out whether she wanted him to or not.

* * *

“So will you call him?” Elise asked the next morning at the bakery. Three or four days a week, they shared breakfast at a small table tucked away in a corner. Bravo Catering and Bakery was already open. Jody would open Bloom in half an hour.

Jody leaned toward her sister across the table. “I have zero reason to call that man.” She kept her voice low in order not to share her private business with every customer in the place.

Elise fiddled with her ginormous engagement diamond. She did that a lot, usually while smiling dreamily. She and Jed Walsh, the famous thriller writer, were getting married at the end of June. And actually, she was looking more thoughtful than dreamy right at the moment. “He’s the baby’s uncle, right? And he really wants to help. You said so yourself.”

“There’s nothing to help with. I’m so completely on top of this whole situation. You guys threw me three showers. There’s nothing left to buy. The baby could come tomorrow. I’m ready to go. I mean, I have three birth coaches, present company included.”

Elise gave a little snort. “You are so efficient I can’t stand it. I get it. You’ve got this. It’s all under control.”

“As a matter of fact, it is. And I do.”

“Kids do need family, though.”

“Handled. We’re Bravos. There are too many of us to count.”

“Seth Yancy is your baby’s family, too—and I can’t believe I even have to remind you of that.”

Jody stared into her steaming cup of rooibos tea. “Okay, Leesie. I get it. And I know you’re right.” She took a thoughtful sip. “I’ll...reach out to him.”

“You do realize you shudder when you say that?”

“I find him intimidating, okay? And the way he looks at me.” She couldn’t suppress another shiver. “Like I need a good talking-to, you know? Like I wasn’t brought up properly and my moral compass is all out of whack.”

Loyal to the core, Elise jumped right to Jody’s defense. “Well, that’s just rude. Maybe I should have a word with him.”

Jody snorted a laugh. “Don’t you dare—and really, he’s not that bad. He was upset that I hadn’t told him about the baby. And he was curt with me at Nick’s funeral, but that’s understandable. Nobody’s at their best after losing a brother out of nowhere in a tractor accident.”

“So. You’ll give him a chance, then?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I will.” But not until later. She had it all together this time around. She didn’t need Seth Yancy’s help.

True, he had a right to know his niece. And he would. After Marybeth was born, she would give him a call.

Elise said, “A week from Saturday Jed has to fly to New York for some publicity thing. He wants me to go.”

“Can you afford to be away? Don’t we have two parties that weekend?” Jody used the word we loosely. Her part would be minimal. Bloom would provide floral centerpieces for both events.

“They’re just small dinner parties. Danielle can run them.” Danielle was Elise’s second in command at Bravo Catering.

“So go.”

“I don’t know. I want to be here for you, in case you need me.”

Jody groaned. “Oh, please. I’m in perfect health. The baby is doing great, and I’m not due till the end of May. And if anything happened—which it won’t—Nellie and Clara are a phone call away.” Nell Bravo and Clara Ames were their other two sisters.

Elise fiddled with her ring some more. “I would be gone for four days, Saturday through Tuesday.”

“Not a problem.”

“It seems like a long time.”

“Elise. Stop worrying.”

“I’m trying.”

“I’ve had no cramping, no spotting, not a single sign that the baby might be early.”

“And besides, first babies usually come late, right?”

“Right.” Jody tried not to look guilty.

Okay, so she had a few secrets. And somehow, she’d never gotten around to sharing them with her sisters, or anyone else in the family, for that matter—well, except for her mother. Somehow, Willow Bravo, of all people, had figured it out and shown up on her doorstep when Jody was six months along. As far as Jody knew, though, her mother had never told another soul.

And, no, Jody wasn’t ashamed that she’d given her first baby up for adoption. All things considered, her choice had been the right one. And no one was going to judge her, anyway. She really ought to stop lying by omission and tell Elise and the rest of them the real reason she’d suddenly decided to spend several months in Sacramento at the age of eighteen.

But come on. It was thirteen years ago, which definitely put it into the category of old news. And she just didn’t feel up to going into it now.

Kind of like she didn’t feel up to reaching out to Seth Yancy...

On second thought, maybe there had been a little damage to her moral compass, after all.

“Jody?” Elise was watching her through suddenly worried eyes. “You okay?”

Jody pulled it together. “I am just fine. And you’re going to New York with Jed.”

* * *

The following Tuesday, Jody stood at the design station at Bloom. She was shaving the corners off a cube of floral foam when in walked the sheriff. Again.

Jody put down her knife with care. “Hello, Seth.”

He took off his aviator sunglasses and his County Mounty hat and came right for her. “You never called.” He set the hat on the counter and the glasses beside it.

Careful not to let anything spill on his hat, she brushed the shaved bits of foam from her hands. “There was no reason to call you. Everything is fine.”

“You’re sure?” He regarded her solemnly, with bleak concentration, as though if he stared hard enough, he could see inside her head and discover all the ways she wasn’t taking proper care of herself.

Jody had a burning need to let out a long, exasperated sigh. Somehow, she quelled that. “I’m sure.”

“Should you be on your feet so much?”

She was suddenly glad for the deep counter between them. He couldn’t look down and see her slightly swollen ankles—which were nothing out of the ordinary for a woman in her third trimester. “Honestly. I’m taking excellent care of myself.”

He sent a suspicious glance around the shop. “Those tubs of flowers outside are heavy. You should have help carrying them in at night.”

She had a good answer for that one. “And I do have help. Plenty of it.”

“How so?”

What? He had to have specifics as to her employees and the hours they worked? Fine. She would give him specifics. “I hired an extra assistant. I already have one who comes in to work with me on Saturday, runs the shop on Sunday by herself and picks up the slack whenever I need her. The new one comes in at two and stays through closing, Monday through Friday. And when the baby’s born, she’ll be here full-time for as long as I need her, and my original assistant will be working more, too.” Was that enough information to end this interrogation?

Apparently not. “You were here on your own a week ago when we talked.” It came out as an accusation with How could you be so irresponsible? implied at the end of it.

No way I have to explain myself to you. But then she went ahead and did it anyway. “The new girl called in sick that day. But she hasn’t missed a day since. And if she can’t make it, and the other clerk is busy, I have more people I can call.”

“What about when you open up in the morning?”

“What about it?”

“Who carries all those tubs of flowers outside then?”

Seriously. Was this in any way his business? No. But if she told him to butt out, he might just decide to stick around and explain in detail all the reasons he had a right to cross-examine her. And what she really wanted was for him to go away. “For weeks now, my sister Elise or one of her clerks has been helping me open up every morning that I’m here on my own.”

“I’d be happy to come by and pitch in.”

“I... Thank you. I’ll remember that.”

“You still have my card with my numbers?”

Where had she put that? “I do. Yes. Of course.”

“Jody.” He gave her that laser-eyed stare again. “Did you lose my card?”

“No. Of course not.”

“Show it to me.”

She stood very still and reminded herself sternly that she was not going to start yelling at him. “I don’t have it handy. Sorry.”

The sheriff was not pleased. He pulled out a cell phone and punched some numbers into it. Her cell, in the pocket of her bib apron, blooped. “I’ve sent you my numbers. Again.”

“Thanks.” She knew she didn’t sound the least appreciative, and by then, she didn’t even care.

He took another of his cards from his breast pocket, grabbed a pen from the jar on the corner of the counter and wrote down all his private numbers all over again. “Just to make sure you don’t lose them this time.” He held it out to her.

She didn’t take it. “Seth, come on. You already put them in my phone.”

“What if you lose your phone?”

“I won’t.” She folded her arms and rested them on her protruding stomach. “And anyway, I still have the first card you gave me. It’s around. Somewhere.” They glared at each other.

“I just want to help.” He said it gently, but there was no mistaking the disapproval in his eyes.

And then the shop bell over the door jingled, saving her from saying something she shouldn’t. Two well-dressed middle-aged women came in. “I have customers,” she said with a blatantly unfriendly smile. “If you’ll excuse me.” She sidled out from behind the counter and made for the newcomers. “Hello, ladies. How may I help you?”

By the time she’d sold the women a mixed bouquet each, Seth had given up and left. She found the card he’d been trying to hand her on the design counter next to the partially shaved cube of foam. Shaking her head, she stuck it in her apron pocket.

And then she banished Seth Yancy from her thoughts.

Humming softly to herself, she went back to work arranging peonies, roses, green hydrangeas, maidenhair ferns and two gorgeous green-tipped purple Fiesole artichokes in a mercury glass compote bowl.

* * *

On Friday, Seth called her at home. He wanted to know how she was doing. She said she felt great.

He said, “If you need anything, you’ll call me?”

“Absolutely,” she replied and refused to think too deeply as to whether or not that was true.

A few minutes after she hung up, she got another call—this time on her cell. It was her sister Nell, who ran a construction business with their brother Garrett. Nellie wanted to fly to Phoenix that weekend for a home show. “Just checking in to be sure you’re doing all right before I even think about deserting you.”

“You’re not deserting me. Nothing is happening here. Go.”

“I might stay over until Tuesday or Wednesday. Visit with an...old friend.”

“You know you sort of paused before the ‘old friend’ part, right?”

“What can I say? It’s a business-with-pleasure kind of situation.”

“Nellie.”

“Um?”

“Have a fabulous time.”

“I will—and you would tell me if there were any signs you’re going into labor, right? Any spotting or weird cramping or if the baby had dropped?”

“Of course I would. My due date is four weeks out, and there’s nothing to worry about.”

Nellie started waffling. “You know, the more I think about it, four weeks isn’t that far off. Anything could happen in the meantime.”

“Nellie. Stop. There is nothing for you to worry about. And anyway, Clara’s here if I need her.”

“And also Elise,” Nellie added helpfully.

Jody hesitated. She really didn’t want Nell to talk herself out of the trip.

“Jo-Jo, you’re too quiet.”

So she confessed, “Elise is taking a quick trip to New York with Jed for some publicity event.”

“You didn’t tell me that Elise took off.” Nellie said it in a chiding tone.

“She didn’t. Yet. She’s leaving tomorrow and will be back Tuesday and you’ll be back Wednesday, and how many times do I have to tell you that I’m experiencing no signs of approaching labor, but if anything happens, I can call Clara. Or Rory.” Rory McKellan was their cousin. “Or one of the guys if it comes down to it.” They had five brothers and all of them lived in the area. Four of those brothers were either married or engaged to women Jody counted as friends. “There is no shortage of people I can call in an emergency.”

Nell made a humming sound. “You really are sure about this?”

“How many times do I have to say it?”

Nell blew out an audible breath. “Sorry I got so freaky.”

“Not complaining. I love that you care.”

“I mean, you’ve had a textbook pregnancy, and you’re healthy as a horse.”

“Is this where I make a neighing sound?”

“Har-har. And it is your first baby and first babies—”

“Usually come late,” Jody finished for her, wishing never to hear that particular phrase again.

“Love you, Jo-Jo.”

“Love you, too. Call me when you get home.”

“Will do.”

She’d barely hung up when the phone blooped with a text. It was Seth.

You sure you don’t need anything?

She actually chuckled as she texted back. Who are you and how did you get this number?

It wasn’t easy, let me tell you. Call me. Anytime.

Absolutely. Will do.

The next day was Saturday. Nell flew to Phoenix and Elise and Jed took off for New York. Seth called that night. Just to check on her, he said. She told him yet again how well she was doing and he let her go.

Sunday, Lois Simonson, one of her two employees, ran the store all day. Jody stayed home and took it easy. She sat around in her pj’s with her feet up and binge-watched the second season of Outlander—really, where was her own Jamie Fraser? She’d been waiting for him for most of her life. A couple of times she’d dared to hope she’d found what she was looking for.

Wrong on both counts.

And Nick? He’d been a sweetheart. But she’d known from the first that he wasn’t the guy for her.

She put her hand on her giant belly and grinned to herself. She had Marybeth now. Her little girl would be enough for her. She would be a good mom and raise her child to know she could make anything she wanted of her life. And she would always have her sisters and her brothers and a network of in-laws and friends to count on and love.

Who needed a man?

Seth called that night, too. She grinned when she saw it was him. Was she kind of getting used to hearing his deep, careful voice?

Maybe. A little.

“What have you been doing?” he asked.

“Nothing. I have the day off, so I’ve been taking up space on the couch, watching TV.”

“Good,” he said. It was the first time she’d ever heard anything approaching approval in his voice when he talked to her. “And I know you’re eating right. At least, that’s what you tell me every time I call.”

“Well, there was that carton of Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Monkey and now it’s gone. But otherwise, I had breakfast, lunch and dinner, and all three were comprised of heart-healthy, fiber-rich, nutritious ingredients. And you’re kind of like an old mother hen, you know that?” There was a choked sort of sound from his end. “Seth Yancy, did you just almost laugh?”

“Me? Not a chance. Do you need anything?”

“Such as...?”

“Food. Supplies. Bottled water?”

“Are we preparing for the zombie apocalypse?”

“Just answer the question.”

“No, Seth. As I keep telling you, I have everything I need, and if there’s something I’ve forgotten, well, they have supermarkets now where I can pick up whatever I’ve run out of.”

“You’re being sarcastic.”

“You noticed.”

“And that reminds me. Should you even be driving?”

“Yes. I definitely should. And I do. Anything else?”

“Look. I’m trying really hard not to annoy you.”

“I know that. And I thank you for it.”

“I just want to—”

“—help. I know. And I appreciate it, Seth. But I’ve run out of ways to tell you that I am taking care of myself and there’s nothing, really, to help me with.”

He was so quiet she thought he’d hung up.

“Seth?”

“Right here. Okay, then. I’ll check in tomorrow.”

“Did I mention that the baby isn’t due for weeks yet?”

“Yeah. Got that.”

“So...are you planning to call every day?”

More silence. Finally, he asked, “Are you telling me not to?”

Yes! But somehow, she couldn’t say that. Because it was so painfully obvious that he cared about his brother’s unborn baby and he really did want to help. “No. It’s okay.” It came out sulky and grudging. “Let me try that again. I mean, thank you for, you know, being here. And I’ll talk to you tomorrow, then.”

“All right.” Was that gravel-and-granite voice of his marginally softer? She couldn’t be sure. “Sleep well, Jody.”

She felt another smile curve her lips. “Good night, Seth.”

* * *

Monday, he showed up at Bloom again just before closing time.

Jody was only too happy to introduce him to Marlie Grant, her second clerk and floral designer. Marlie, like Lois, had a talent with flowers and could be trusted not only to handle design and selling, but also to purchase stock from the wholesalers and flower farms nearby. Marlie took the last customer of the day, leaving Jody at the design station with Seth.

“I told you I had help,” she said smugly as soon as Marlie was busy with old Mr. Watsgraff, who came in every Monday to buy a dozen white roses for his wife of forty-nine years.

“I’m staying to carry in the flowers.” He made it sound like a threat.

“Fine. Help out. Be that way.”

“You look tired.”

She leaned toward him across the counter—as much as her giant stomach would allow, anyway. “Don’t start in. Please.”

Was that the beginnings of a grin tipping the corners of his bleak slash of a mouth? “Or you’ll what?”

“I have an in with the sheriff’s office is all I’m saying, so you’d better watch your step.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He said it quietly, and the sound sent a little shiver running down the backs of her knees.

She’d heard he had several feminine admirers in town, nice single women who often showed up at the justice center bringing cookies and wearing bright, hopeful smiles.

Until that moment, she’d never understood what they saw in him. Yeah, he was young to be sheriff. And hot and muscled up and manly and all that. But up till the last couple of check-in calls, she’d also found him overbearing and judgmental, which had pretty much made her immune to his fabled hotness.

But right now, when he almost smiled at her and then said Yes, ma’am, all teasing and low, well, she could see the appeal. A little bit. Maybe.

As soon as old Mr. Watsgraff went out the door with his cone of roses, Jody turned off the Open sign, and Marlie and Seth brought in the stock from outside.

He hung around until after Marlie left and then walked Jody out to her Tahoe in back.

“How about some dinner?” he asked, still holding the door open after helping her up behind the wheel.

She was actually tempted. But she was also uncomfortable with the idea. Would he ask her about Nick, want more details of their supposed romance, which had actually not been a romance at all? She wasn’t ready to get into that with him and probably never would be.

“Thanks, Seth. But I just want to go home and put my feet up.”

He gave a slight nod. “Well, that’s understandable. I’ll follow you, see that you get home safe.”

“Seth.” She looked at him steadily and then shook her head.

He gave it up. “Talk to you tomorrow.”

“Good night.”

He swung the door shut at last.

At home, she cooked a nice dinner of chicken breasts, steamed broccoli and rice, but when she sat down to eat, she just wasn’t hungry. She felt at loose ends, somehow. Edgy, full of energy.

A little bit nervous.

She wandered aimlessly through her house, which she loved, a cozy traditional one-story, with a modern kitchen, a sunny great room and three bedrooms. Her father had made sure that each of his nine children were well provided for. Jody’s trust fund had matured when she was twenty-one, and a year later, during the housing bust, she’d gotten an amazing deal on her place in a short sale. It was more house than she’d needed at the time, but she’d bought it anyway. Now it was worth three times what she’d paid for it, and with the baby coming, she was glad for the extra space.

In the baby’s room, she lingered. She spent a half an hour admiring everything, touching the tiny onesies and the stacks of cotton blankets, hardly daring to believe that in a month, she would hold her baby in her arms. It was adorable, that room, if she did say so herself, with teal blue walls and bedding in coral and teal, cream and mint green. It had a mural of bright flowers and butterflies on one wall, and the whole effect was so pretty and inviting, all ready for Marybeth, even though she wouldn’t be using it for a while. At first, she’d have a bassinet in Jody’s room.

Eventually, she wandered out to the great room and tried to watch TV, but she couldn’t concentrate.

She called Clara, who was down with the flu, of all things. Her husband, Dalton, had it, too, and so did their two-year-old, Kiera. Jody ordered her to get well, and Clara answered wryly that she was working on it.

After hanging up with Clara, she had the ridiculous desire to call Seth. But that would only encourage him, and that didn’t seem right.

She went to bed at nine thirty and couldn’t get comfortable, even with her body pillow to help support her belly and another pillow at her back. She was just sure she would never get to sleep.

But then the next thing she knew, she looked over at the bedside clock, and it was after two in the morning.

And something was...

She put her hands on her belly, felt the powerful, involuntary tightening, as though her body had a mind of its own.

“Dear, sweet God...”

With an animal growl, she threw back the covers and slithered to the floor, where she crouched like a crab on the bedside rug, groaning and huffing, fingers splayed over her rippling stomach as a second-stage contraction bore down like an extra pair of giant, cruel hands, pushing so hard she would have buckled under the pressure if she wasn’t already on her knees.

She panted her way through it, and when it was over, she realized there was liquid dripping down her inner thighs. Her water had broken.

Her water had broken.

And Clara had the flu, Elise was in New York, and Nellie had gone to Phoenix.

But not to panic. Uh-uh. She’d done this before and she could do it again.

One hand still on her belly, she reached up and grabbed her phone off the nightstand. And then she just sat there, half expecting to wake up in her bed and discover that she really wasn’t in active labor, after all; it was only a dream.

But then another one started.

Okay. No dream.

She used her phone to time that one as she squatted on the floor, moaning and grunting, the pain rising to a peak at thirty-two seconds, after which it faded back down. Once it was over, she estimated she had three to five minutes until the next one hit.

Time to find a ride to the hospital and then get in touch with her doctor—well, past time for both, actually.

But she refused to freak. Because there was nothing to be alarmed about. She was in labor, yes, but she had it under control. Her birth coaches might be unavailable, but at least there were plenty of people she could call. Even in the middle of the night, someone ought to be able to come pick her up and take her to Justice Creek General.

And if they weren’t, well, there was always Uber. Or 911.

She brought up her cousin Rory’s number and almost hit Call.

But then, for no comprehensible reason except that he kept insisting he really wanted to help, she scrolled down to Seth’s cell number and called him instead.

Chapter Three

He answered on the first ring, sounding wide-awake—as though he’d been sitting up with his phone in his hand in the middle of the night, waiting for her to call. “Jody. What can I do?”

Her mind chose that moment to go blank. “I...need...”

“Anything. Yes.” His voice was so calm, so even and strong. She felt she could reach right through the phone and grab on to him to steady herself. “What do you need?”

It was a simple question, and she had the answer ready. Except when she opened her mouth it was like pulling wide the floodgates on a full dam. “Elise and Nellie are out of town, and Clara’s got the flu. I was going to call Rory, but then I thought of you and I...” He started to say something. But she didn’t let him. She babbled right over him. “They all think it’s my first and the first one always comes late, and I never corrected them, never told them. Because that’s kind of how I am, you know? I keep too much to myself, I want to have it together and take care of business, and I end up pushing people away because I’m so self-sufficient. And now here I am on the bedroom floor, dripping all over the rug, without my birth coaches in the middle of the night. It’s like I’m being punished by fate for lying to everyone about the first one, you know?”

“Jody.”

“Um?”

“What do you mean, dripping?”

The note of alarm in his voice had her rushing to reassure him. “It’s not that much. I exaggerated.”

“You’re not making sense.”

“You’re probably right.”

“And, Jody, you said ‘the first one.’ The first what?”

“Baby,” she blurted out and then slapped her hand over her big, fat mouth. Oh, God. She hadn’t even told her sisters, and here she was, blathering it all out to Seth, who might want to help and all but still remained essentially a stranger to her.

“So,” he tried again, clueless but still determined to stick with her and give her whatever she’d called him in the middle of the night to get. “Are you saying you feel guilty because—”

“Never mind. Doesn’t matter. It’s not why I called.”

Dead silence. Then, “Okay. Let’s go with that. Why did you call?”

Seriously? He really didn’t know? “Seth, take a wild guess.”

“I...” He was totally at a loss.

She was messing with him, and she really needed to stop. “I’m in labor. I’m having my baby, like right now, tonight, and I wonder if—”

“Wait. What? Are you all right?” Now he really was freaked. “Is there bleeding? Do you need an ambulance?”

“No. Yes! I mean, I’m fine. There’s no blood.”

“But you mentioned dripping...”

“It’s not blood—it’s amniotic fluid. My water broke. It happens. You said you wanted to help, and I need someone to give me a ride to the hospital, and I thought—”

“Wait. You’re not due for a month, you said.”

“I’m at thirty-six weeks and going into labor now is perfectly normal.”

“It is?”

“Believe me, if it wasn’t, I’d have already called 911.”

Another deep silence. And finally, “All right, then.” His voice was dead calm again. Like he’d flipped a switch from frantic future step-uncle back to law-enforcement professional, a man with a job to do and no time to waste on the vagaries of human emotion. “Are you at home?”

“Yes.”

“You didn’t give me your address.” She rattled it off. “Okay, then. Fifteen minutes, I’ll be there. Did you call your doctor?”

“I will. As soon as I hang up and get through this next contrac—” A ragged yelp escaped her.

“Jody. Are you still with me?”

“Right here,” she grunted.

“Are you okay?”

“Fine—except for, you know, having a baby.”

“Tell me honestly. Do you need an ambulance?”

Given the pressure bearing down on her uterus, she longed to scream, Yes! But she’d done this before. It felt normal, if having a baby could ever be called such a thing. “I just need a ride, okay? And I need a ride soon.”

“I’m on my way.”

* * *

Fourteen minutes later, she’d been through three more contractions, in between which she’d called her doctor, wiped up the dripped-on rug, put on a maxi-pad, yoga pants and a big shirt and carried her already-packed suitcase to the front door. Not bad for a woman in active labor.

She was crouched in the front hall, panting her way through the next contraction, when the doorbell rang. “It’s open!” she shrieked and panted some more.

The door swung back, and she was looking at Seth’s boots. “Jody? Are you—”

“Kind of busy here...” She waved a hand at him and went back to focusing on her breathing, on riding out the pain.

He came and knelt at her side until that one peaked and passed off.

Only then did she meet his eyes. “Thanks for coming.” He wore jeans and a T-shirt and looked almost approachable.

She held out her arm. “Help me up?” He pulled her gently to her feet. She swayed against him for a moment. It was reassuring, leaning on him, such a broad, hard wall of a man. She could see the dark dots of beard stubble on his strong jaw, and he smelled clean and warm, like a just-ironed shirt. She was suddenly ridiculously glad she had called him. “Thanks.”

“You ready?” He bent to grab the handle of her suitcase.

“Let’s go.”

Outside, he led her to the camo-green Grand Cherokee parked at the curb. “Back or front?”

“What? You didn’t bring the cruiser?” When he only looked at her patiently, she answered his question. “I’ll sit in back. More space for rolling around in agony when the next contraction hits.”

He got her settled in, tossed her suitcase into the passenger seat and climbed up behind the wheel.

The ride to Justice Creek General took seven minutes. She knew because she was timing contractions and the spaces between them the whole way.

At the hospital, they were ready for her. She’d preregistered and her ob-gyn, Dr. Kapur, had called ahead to say Jody was on the way. They put her in a wheelchair and rolled her to a birthing suite.

Seth followed her right in there.

“Thanks.” She flashed him a pretty good imitation of a smile. “I’m good now. You can go.”

“Someone should be here. I’ll stay.”

“But I can call—”

“It’s almost three in the morning. I’m already here.”

She would have argued with him, but she knew how much good that would do her. “You’re staying no matter what I say, aren’t you?”

“That’s right.”

A nurse came in and introduced herself as Sandy. She took Jody’s vitals, waited out another contraction with her and then got a quick history. After that, she pulled a gown and a pair of canary yellow socks with nonskid soles from a cupboard.

“Your gown and some cozy socks.” Sandy handed them over and pointed at a set of long cabinets tucked into the corner. “Your street clothes can go in there. Dr. Kapur should be in soon.” She nodded at Seth. “Sheriff.”

“Thanks, Sandy,” he replied, as though he and Sandy were best pals and he had every right to be there. Apparently, Sandy was on the same page with him. She shot him a big smile and left them alone.

“You need help getting into that?” He gestured at the gown.

“No, thanks. Step out, please.”

“If you need me—”

“Thanks. I mean that. Out.”

He left and she changed into the gown and socks. Dr. Kapur came. She examined Jody and confirmed what Jody already knew. Just like the first time, her baby was coming fast.

Forty-five minutes later, Jody had flown through transition, and it was time to start pushing.

Somebody had let Seth back into the room. By then, Jody didn’t even care. Pushing a baby out left zero room for modesty. And privacy? Forget about it.

She had the mattress adjusted to prop up her back, her gown rucked up high and her legs spread wide, her feet in the bright yellow socks digging into the mattress. Seth was right there. He gave her his hand to hold on to.

Okay, he was practically a stranger, but so what? He was there and he was strong and steady, and she could hold on to him, right now, when she needed him.

Dignity? Self-control? She had none. She shouted and swore and clutched Seth’s hand for dear life.

Was it this bad last time? It must have been. She should have remembered that.

As Marybeth’s head crowned, Jody shouted, “Never am I ever having sex again! Never in this lifetime, no matter what!”

Dr. Kapur let out a soft chuckle and told her how great she was doing, that she should push just a little bit more, bear down just a little bit harder...

And she did and she felt it—the head sliding out. Moaning in agony, she looked down between her wide-open legs as Dr. Kapur freed Marybeth’s little shoulders.

And that was it. Marybeth slithered out into the world.

With another long moan of exhaustion, Jody let go of Seth’s hand and let her head fall back against the pillows.

When she looked again, Seth was down there with the baby. Dr. Kapur was checking her airways. Marybeth let out a soft cry—and then a louder one.

Dr. Kapur passed Seth the blood-and vernix-streaked baby. Seth took her, held her close, whispered something Jody couldn’t hear.

And then Jody was reaching for her. “Please...”

Seth passed her over, laying her down on Jody’s still-giant stomach. Jody gathered her in, kissed her sticky hair, her bloodstained cheek. “Hello, Marybeth. I’m so glad you’re here...”

* * *

Seth stood close to the bed where Jody held her newborn baby.

The doctor got to work cutting the cord and stitching Jody up. Jody paid no attention to what was going on between her legs. She cuddled Marybeth close and cooed in her ear. The nurse, Sandy, approached the bed with a stack of clean linens.

Seth glanced down at the streaks of blood and white stuff on his arms. He could use a little cleaning up, too. “I’ll be right back,” he whispered to Jody. She didn’t even look up.

In the suite’s bathroom, he rinsed away the blood and the milky white goo that had covered Marybeth. With a wet paper towel, he rubbed the stuff off his T-shirt, too. He leaned close to the mirror, checking for more on his face and neck.

Seth stared in his own eyes and marveled at what had just happened in the other room.

Could a moment change everything? Seth knew that it could. A moment was all it had taken seven years ago in Chicago—a single moment to empty him out to a shell of himself.

And back there in the other room, it had happened again. He’d held Nicky’s baby for a matter of seconds. Those seconds made up the moment that changed his world all over again.

In the space of that moment he saw his own emptiness, and he saw it filled with all he needed, everything that mattered, right there in his arms. Life. Hope. The future. All of it in a tiny, naked, squirming newborn baby still connected to her mother by a twisted, vein-wrapped cord.

As he’d held Marybeth for the first time, the past was all around him. And not just what happened in Chicago.

But also another moment years and years ago, the first time that everything changed.

He’d been fourteen that day, the day his dad brought Seth’s future stepmom, Darlene, to the Bar-Y for the first time. She’d brought her little boy with her, too.

“Nicky,” she’d said, “this is Seth...” Seth looked down and saw the kid looking up at him through giant blue eyes.

At that time, Seth already considered himself a grown-up. He understood life and there was nothing that great about it. He sure had no interest in his dad’s new girlfriend’s kid.

But then the kid in question had held out his small hand.

Seth had taken it automatically, given it a shake and then tried to let go.

But Nicky managed to catch his index finger and hold on. “Tet,” he said proudly. It was as close as he could get to saying Seth at that point.

And that was when it happened, that was the first moment when everything changed.

As Nicky clutched his finger and Darlene chuckled softly, Seth felt a warm, rising sensation in his chest, a tightness, but a good tightness. He kind of liked the little boy and his pretty mother.

He slid a glance at his dad. Bill Yancy, always so sad and lonely and serious, was smiling, too.

What would it be like, to have a mom who made his dad smile, to have a little brother who called him Tet? Seth realized that he wanted a chance to find out.

As soon as Darlene and Seth’s dad were married, Bill legally adopted Nick. Seth finally had a normal, happy, loving family. The years that followed were good ones. The best.

But eventually there was Chicago and the next big moment, the one that added up to the death of his dreams. After Chicago, Seth had come home. He’d taken a job with the sheriff’s office.

But really, he’d only been going through the motions of living. And he only felt emptier with each new loss. Five years ago they lost Darlene to breast cancer. And then his dad, sad and silent and lonely all over again, had pulled up stakes and moved to Florida.

Seth had tried to stay positive. Two years ago, he’d run for sheriff and won. He’d tried to be proud of that, of serving his community and doing a good job of it.

But losing Nicky last November had been the final straw. Since Nicky died, Seth had greeted every empty day with bleak determination to get through it and on to the next one.

Until today.

Until he held Nicky’s baby, and it came to him sharply that while Nicky might be lost, this tiny, living part of him carried on.

* * *

When Seth returned to the main room, the nurse was busy at the sink near the window. The doctor was gone. Jody looked up from Marybeth and into his eyes. “Thanks. For the ride. For being here.”

“Nothing to thank me for. I’m right where I want to be.”

Jody started to say something.

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